Tilling-machine.



G. W. CONNOR.

TILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rn13.25,1914.

1,102,979, Patented July 7, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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G. W. CONNOR.

TILLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED M315, 1914.

Patented July 7, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES PAPPENT OFFICE- Gnoaenw. common. or sE'An wAmow, Noam: cAaoLiNa, assroivon, BY rumor AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO A R SIMS, 0? SHELBY, NORTH GARE:

' L na, moiiE-EALF TOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -GEORGE W. CONNOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bear,Wallow, in the county of Henderson and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'Tilling Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for tilling the soil, and it has particular reference to that class of devices which come under the general head of rotary spaders.

The prime object of the invention is to produce a device of simple and efficient construction including a rotary supporting member and a spring actuated spading member mounted pivotally on said supporting member in such a manner that when it reaches a soil engaging position it will be forced or projected directly into the soil to be presently engaged by a relatively fixed portion of the supporting member, whereby it is raised from the soil together with a port-ion of the dirt engaged thereby, said supporting member being subsequently restored to its initial position by its actuating spring.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of the character described including two or more supporting members having spading members set either straight or obliquely and faced in the same or in different directions, according to the kind of work that is to be performed.

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of the character described which, with slight variations in its general structure, may be advantageously employed for various purposes.

With these andother ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel. arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but. that changes, alterationsand modifications within the scope of the claims may bev resorted to when desired.

rILmNG-Macnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February a, 1914. Serial No. 890,975.

I. ROIBTNSON, ORFOBEST CITY,'NORTH CAROLINA,

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a unit of a simple and preferred form of the improved 'tilling apparatus. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-'-2 in- Fig. '1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one form of the tilling apparatus applied to a plow to be used in con nection therewith to operate as a sub-soiler. Fig. 4 is a front elevation showing the principles of the present invention applied to the construction of a cultivator. Fig. 5 is a front elevation showing a portion of a spad ing and dirt mixing machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrative of the operation of the invention.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The invention in its preferred form em bodies a unit consisting of a disk, plate, drum or like supporting member with which one or more circumferential series of spading members are pivotally connected.

In Figs. 1 and-2 has been shown a unit consisting of a disk 15 provided along the edge thereof with lugs or flanges 16 that extend laterally in opposite directions, the flanges at the two sides of the disk being staggered with relation to each other. 'Each side of the disk has laterally extending jour nals 17 on which the spading members 18 are pivoted, said spading members extending radially beyond the edgetof the disk through the interspaces between the lugs and flanges 16. Strong actuating springs-19 are provided whereby each spading member is forced in a forward direction on the downgoing side of the disk so as to be normally supported in contact with the rear edge of the lug or flange 16 in advance thereof. It is obvious that the supporting member, as well as the spading members, may be of any desired dimensions; also that the spading members may be caused to project beyond the edge of the disk or supporting member to any desired extent; also that: spading members may be mounted on one or both sides of the supporting member, as may be preferred; also that other modifications within the scope of the claims may be re sorted to.

In the embodiment of theinventionillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, a unit of the device has been supported for rotation rammed July 7, 1914.

speed at which the machine by an axial member 20 in a frame 21, one end of which is pivotally connected at 22 with the landslide of a plow; the other end of the frame is connected by a slidable link 23 with a bracket 24 on the plow beam, a spring 25 being arranged to exert downward pressure on the link whereby the frame carryin the spading unit is forced downwarrfly to engage the bottom of the furrow formed by the plow, thus operating as a subsoiler.

In Fig, 4 has been illustrated the application of the principles of the invention to the construction of a cultivator, the frame 26 of which is shown as including bracket members 27 supporting axial members 28 on each of which several units A of the device has been mounted, the units being disposed in two series at opposite ends of the frame, said series being spaced apart to leave ample room for the row of plants that is to be operated upon. When thus applied, the spading members of the series of units are twisted obliquely, as seen at 29, and the spading members of the two series of unitsare twisted in opposite directions so that the dirt will be thrown either toward or from the plants, as may be required. In another application of the invention a frame member 30 is provided, said frame having a bracket- 31 at either end to support an axial member 32 on which any desired number of units A may be mounted, three such units having been shown. In this form of the invention, the spading members of the units have been twisted alternately in opposite directions, thus causing the dirt that is being operated upon to be thoroughly mixed with a churning action which is very effective in pulverizing and comminglin the soil. In this form of the invention, the axial member 32 has also been shown as being equipped with a sprocket 33 to enable it to be driven from some convenient source of power, thus enabling the axial member or shaft carrying the spading units to be driven at any required speed in excess of the of which it forms a part is traveling.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings has been shown diagrams to illustrate the operation of the invention. At a a spading member 18 which is held by the spring 19 in engagement with the lug or flange 16 in advance thereof has been shown at the point of entering the ground. As the unit A of which it forms a part advances in the direction indicated by the arrrow, the spading member is forced into the ground as seen at b. As the unit advances still farther to the position shown at a, the spading member passes through the interspaces between the lug' 16 in advance thereof and that immediately behind, the

only effect on the spading member itself be- As will be seen from the foregoing description, the principle of this invention is applicable in many different ways and for many different purposes. The construction is extremely simple and inexpensive, and the device .is thoroughly eflicient for the purposes for which it is provided.

- Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a spading device, a supporting member mounted for rotation and having laterally extending circumferentially disposed spaced lugs, spading members pivoted on the supporting member and extending radially between the lugs, and springs whereby the spading members are forced forwardly into engagement with the lug in advance of each spading member.

2. A disk member supported for rotationand having laterally extending spaced lugs, spading members pivoted on the disk memher, and means whereby each tooth is resiliently held in engagement with the lug in advance thereof.

3. A disk member supported for rotation and having opposite laterally extending lugs disposed in staggered relation, spading members pivoted on opposite sides of the disk and extending between the lugs, and means whereby each spading member is forced resiliently into engagement with the lug in advance thereof.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with an axial member, of a spading unit supported thereon for rotation and consisting of a disk having circumferentially disposed laterally extending spaced lugs, spadin members pivoted on the (llSkHl-Ild exten ing between the lugs,

and spring means engaging the spading.

members.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' GEORGE W. CONNOR. Witnesses:

E. HUME TALBERT, E. EDMONSTON, J r. 

